Solar Panel Wiring

[boatsail]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

The options depend on where the panels are mounted. Mine are on top of my dinghy davits, so I have the wires running down inside the davit pipe.


You can't see them well, but that's the point. I drew the wires through the pipe by first pulling a piece of dental floss with a cotton ball tied to the end sucked through with a vacuum cleaner.

I'm going to use that idea... Cotton and dental floss, awesome

[The Garbone]

You can use a microwave power transmitter, no holes or wires required but does not work with a metal hull. They are made by the same people that make Mr.Fusion bulk power converters.

[paulf]

Just for fun, you could inductivly couple two coils, one inside,one out side.
Then convert the DC from the panels to AC. Expose this to the inside coil(transformer). Using the proper amount of windings you could step up or down the voltage. Then rectify back to dc for your charge.

Not very efficiant.

paulf

[glenn.225]

Reminds me of the time the guys in the electrical shop took a couple of metal boom box antennas and glued them to spare 110v extension cord ends and told the troops they had a wireless extension cord but weren’t allow to issue it out. There must of been 25 people came looking to borrow that.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

The options depend on where the panels are mounted. Mine are on top of my dinghy davits, so I have the wires running down inside the davit pipe.


You can't see them well, but that's the point. I drew the wires through the pipe by first pulling a piece of dental floss with a cotton ball tied to the end sucked through with a vacuum cleaner.

As far as getting a mouse through that SUCKS!!!
Good thinking 99 i learn something every day!!!

Cheers

[familycruisers]

I will be using Liquitite fittings and 1/2' should be enough room for 6/2.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by paulf

Just for fun, you could inductivly couple two coils, one inside,one out side. paulf

I think slinkys would work for this. Chucklet probably has a couple already.

[sailvayu]

I must say reading this thread is a bit disappointing. Here we have somebody asking a simple question, somebody that is new to this forum and likely new to boating and it seems many here think they are so much smarter than everyone else. They imply that the OP is a child while posting childish replies to his question. Really? Come on folks give the guy a break. he is new and wants some help. yes it is a simple basic problem but it is his problem and he came here for some help not to be ridiculed. This is exactly why I do not post much here anymore, it seems the trend is to attack the poster not help. For those who offered good advice i say good for you and for those that offered insults i say grow up! This forum is here to help and that is why I come here, not to try and make myself seem better by insulting others. Just my 2 cents.

[Hudson Force]

Chucklet321, If you are not using davits there are other possibilities of running the wire inside piping. Panels hung on the rail can have the wires led through a stanchion and panels on a bimini top or arch can have the wires led inside the supporting stainless tubing. In all these cases it's important to have a water tight seal at the hidden passage through the deck.

[Sumner]

Right now with the boat sitting in the yard with only one of the six 80 watt panels in place I have a simple modified extension cord running down to and ...




...under one of the hatch covers to the charge controller to keep the batteries up. When we go back I'll run the larger supply cables from...




....the junction box (under the arrow where the one panel was placed) down some conduit to the side of the cockpit coaming and then thru the side of the coaming there to the controller and will cover the opening with a large clam shell vent like I did on the Mac. Not real pretty, but functional,

Sum

[resilientg]

sailvayu, good on you for you statement, i feel the same way you do, some people with there smart arsed belittling answers appear to have forgotten that once they too didn't know anything, and had to ask questions to find or test knowledge.

Matthew

[chucklet321]

Thanks, you have basically solved my problem, well for those of you who were serious and not ridiculing thank you.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sailvayu

I must say reading this thread is a bit disappointing. Here we have somebody asking a simple question, somebody that is new to this forum and likely new to boating and it seems many here think they are so much smarter than everyone else. They imply that the OP is a child while posting childish replies to his question. Really? Come on folks give the guy a break. he is new and wants some help. yes it is a simple basic problem but it is his problem and he came here for some help not to be ridiculed. This is exactly why I do not post much here anymore, it seems the trend is to attack the poster not help. For those who offered good advice i say good for you and for those that offered insults i say grow up! This forum is here to help and that is why I come here, not to try and make myself seem better by insulting others. Just my 2 cents.

+1

It never ceases to amaze me that people will take the time to type out an unhelpful or insulting response to someone's question. If you honestly think it's a dumb question, move on. If you've got nothing useful to say, say nothing. If the thread really bothers you that much, filter it out.

There are a ton of excellent people on CF who give of their time and experience. I have learned tons, and I try and share my own limited knowledge when I have something useful to say. The problem is that some people are only here for their own personal entertainment. Sadly, it's typical of anonymous chat boards on the net. Not specific to CF at all. People who stick with these forums learn to filter (ignore) those who are just here to play with themselves in public.

[kb79]

I remember what it was like when I'd first bought a boat - I'm an engineer, but knew nothing about boats. Breaking out a drill and drilling through the deck gave me pause too. CF is a great place to ask those questions and get feedback on what's a good idea and what isn't. Even though you got some unfortunately sarcastic feedback, you also got a clear answer

Keep asking!

[Starbuck]

Nice try, kb79, but it's already a fail.